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Mary’s Memo – June 23rd

FROM THE COOKBOOK SHELF

In case you hadn’t noticed, the egg has been elevated to entrée status or at the very least, showing up on top of a variety of foods. Eggs on Top, Recipes Elevated by an Egg by Andrea Slonecker and photographs by David Reamer is a gem of a cookbook! With two distinct sections, this primer teaches first the classic techniques for cooking the humble egg. From perfectly poached to softly scrambled, each method is clearly conveyed to ensure egg cooking success. Skills mastered, you’ll find you can add an egg to nearly any recipe. Andrea Slonecker’s writing has appeared in the Oregonian’s MIX magazine and Northwest Palate magazine. She has served as executive director of the Portland Culinary Alliance and a chef instructor at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute in Portland, and she's the author of Pretzel Making at Home, also from Chronicle Books. David Reamer is a food and lifestyle photographer whose images have appeared in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and GQ. David cooked for thirteen years before finally trading in his chef’s knife for a camera.

Have you ever poached eggs in milk? Now you can with a recipe from the cookbook. Slonecker likes them on a slice of buttered toast but they can be served on other entrees as well.

MILK-POACHED EGGS

• 1 cup milk
• Salt
• 2 farm-fresh eggs

Warm milk with a pinch of salt over medium-high heat. (Don’t be tempted to add vinegar to the eggs, as you would for water poaching because it will make the milk curdle.) Crack eggs into separate bowls. When the milk is foamy on top and you can see little bubbles starting to break the surface, gently slip the eggs in, one by one, on opposite sides of the pan. If the yolks aren’t quite submerged, use a spoon to delicately baste them with the hot milk. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the milk from boiling; it should be steaming and foamy, but not bubbling. Poach the eggs 2 to 3 minutes, depending on their size. To see if they are done, lift an egg from the milk with a slotted spoon and gently feel around the edges of the yolk. The yolk should jiggle and the white should feel set yet tender. Strain the eggs from the milk using the slotted spoon, and place them on the dish they are destined for.
Source: Eggs on Top by Andrea Slonecker (Chronicle Books, 2014, $24.95/softback).

WHY TRANS FATS ARE WORSE THAN OTHER TYPES OF FAT

Trans fats, which are made by adding extra hydrogen to vegetable oils, originally seemed like a promising alternative to butter because they provided a similar taste without saturated fat and cholesterol, but they turned out to be even worse for our health than saturated fat. Not only do they raise LDL (bad) cholesterol but they lower HDL (good) cholesterol and might contribute to inflammation. You can avoid them by steering clear of products that list “partially hydrogenated oil” as an ingredient. Some recent evidence suggests that saturated fat might not be as dangerous as once thought, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Source: ConsumerReports on Health, June 2014.

MARRIED PEOPLE HEART HEALTHIER

The largest study of its kind reports that married people are less likely to suffer from a range of cardiovascular problems, from heart disease to circulatory issues. In an analysis of data on more than 3.5 million Americans, average age 64, who’d undergone health screenings by a private company, married people were 5 percent less likely to have cardiovascular problems than singles. Compared to married participants, widowed people were at 3 percent greater risks and divorced people at 5 percent more risk. The correlation between marital status and cardiovascular health was strongest for those under age 50. The findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting.
Source: Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, June 2014.

WHAT COULD BE EASIER THAN THIS TO MAKE!

When the recipe was tested I used a cake mix (Duncan Hines) that weighed more. When I make it again I’ll use a cake mix like Betty Crocker that weighs about 4 ounces less. Knowing memo readers are attracted to recipes with a few ingredients, you’re going to love this dessert!

RHUBARB DUMP CAKE

In a 9x13-inch glass baking dish layer rhubarb, sugar, gelatin and cake mix. DO NOT MIX OR STIR! Evenly pour butter and water over all. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for 45 minutes or until rhubarb is cooked and top is golden brown. Recipe makes 16 servings.